Midsummer rituals
by Huntress09
Summary: Sarah wisits a friend in sweden during the midsummer and experiences the festivitys.Unfortunatly they end in a tradgedy that in turn takes Sarah back to the castle beyond the goblin city.
1. A night of festivitys

Midsummer rituals

Chapter 1

_Ok I knew I should be finishing my other stories not starting a new one, and the last ting I should do is up date another whit out an ending and still I do._

_I started writing on this one over a year ago I got about one more chapter finished and have been angsting some over how it should continue and end, I don't know how much time I will have to write this term ether and I do not know if I will get the inspiration to finissh it any time soon. We will just have to see._

_I will try my best. _

_This one is more angst then what I usually write so beware!_

_Rating M for character death._

_(well wasn't that a positive authors note?)_

"Sarah are you ready? We need to leave soon if we don't want to be late." Maria Sarah's pen-pal since 10 years shouted thru the door. Sarah was just finishing her makeup and quickly put away her things before going down to the kitchen where Maria waited.

" Finished!"she said after braiding her dark brown hair.

"Good! Now we will get there in time to pick flower for the midsummer-pole."Her blond friend said and walk in front of her to the old Saab she drove.

As they drove out of the small town towards the house of the friend of Maria that was hosting the midsummer party they were invited to Sarah reflected on how far from home she was, almost the other side of the world in the north European country of Sweden on her way to a midsummer ritual that had been celebrated for thousands of years, maybe not in exactly the same way but still.

"I'm so happy you finally could come visiting Sarah. Specially at this time of the year, Sweden really is at its best in the summer. And there is nothing like an old fertility rite when it comes to parties." Maria happily said. She had been nervously happy ever since picking Sarah up at the airport two days ago.

"Fertility rite?"Sarah asked intrigued she always had a thing for history and myths even before visiting the Labyrinth. Maria shared her fascination and that had been one of the things that made them keep in contact over the years first by letter as a school assignment then by e-mail and msn as time proceeded.

"Yes did I forget to mention that? Its a celebration for good harvests and fertility. The pole is a phallus symbol from the beginning. We are dancing around a giant penis to make the wheat grow and women pregnant. Not that anyone actually think about it that way any more." Maria explained giggling.

"And every swede participates in this?" Sarah asked smiling.

" Maybe not everyone but almost, its mostly kids and there parents that dances around the pole now days teens find it embarrassing. This is also one of the big drinking festivity's of the year only competing whit new years eve and Valborg."

"Valborg?"

"The 30 of April we light bonfires and party. The real celebration includes choirs singing in the spring. Its supposed to scare away the witches, but I think it was a fertility thing in the beginning to. Makes us sound like savages doesn't it?"

"I think its wonderful whit so much living history around you. Even if you are savages." The last sentence was added in a joking voice and they both laughed together.

The party really was great, Maria's friends was more then happy to show Sarah all the midsummer traditions and she felt like she had been hanging around them for years.

Sarah helped clothing the small midsummer pole whit leafs and flowers,(it was not as big as the once they showed on TV but its not really the size that matters said Maria and laughed). Sarah was then dragged whit in some strange dances by Maria (first something about a merry-go-round and then a even stranger one about frogs).

After the dancing it was time for dinner summer-potatoes and pickled herring in different flavors (Maria made Sarah taste some of the herring it was not as bad as you might think but she was still thankful that there was salmon and meatballs for those who did not like the Nordic specialty).As dessert there was fresh strawberry's cream and honey (fresh potatoes and strawberry's is what Swedish summer is all about really, Maria informed her whit her mouth full of strawberry's and cream on her nose). Thru the meal there was also shots, Anders the guy that sat on Sarah's left tried to teach her the drinking songs that they sang whit a varied result. She did learned "skål", the Swedish word for "cheers", fast.

The party then continued whit music and dancing till someone decided that it was a lovely time for a swim in the lake a short walk away from the house.

The lake was plain as a mirror and only a lonely bird was heard calling in the night. There was with water-lily's that looked blue in the night and red ones that looked gray, the place seemed magical.

The water was freezing, Sarah just got in and then hurried up again.

While waiting for the rest of the party Maria told Sarah the story of how the water lily's in the lake became red.

"There was a poor fisher that made a deal whit Näcken, a Swedish water spirit known for playing the violin and luring people to drown in the water. Anyway the fisher had lost his luck and his family would be starving if he did not catch any fish soon so he made a deal whit Näcken for better catches in return Näcken demanded the fisherman's beautiful daughter. On the day Näcken had set for the girl to come to him, the girl took her fathers small boat and rowed out on the lake in her wedding dress. Näcken came up from the water to drag her whit him down but before he could do so the girl stabbed him in the chest. The blood from Näcken flowed out over the water and colored all the water lily's red." Maria finished dramatically.

"If you are finished telling stories, we should start looking for seven flowers." Anna a friend of Maria said.

"More flowers? For what?" Sarah asked.

"If you pick seven flowers on midsummer's eve and put them under your pillow you will dream of the man your going to marry." Anna explained.

The girls had to search some to find seven different flower in the night, it was not very dark this far north in the summer but it still took some time.

Giggling they put the flowers under the borrowed pillows on the madrases on the floor they were sleeping on that night and fell asleep fast.

Sarah knew it was a dream, she had returned to the labyrinth thru dreams ever since that night nine years ago. She walked thru the hedge maze again, this time in no hurry, she walked thru the fireys glittering forest again, but meet no one, not even a fairy.

Some where in the forest she must have taken a wrong turn cause instead of the wall there was a glade whit a small softly humming brook flowing thru. Sarah had only dreamed of places she had visited when she dreamed of the labyrinth before so this glade made her a little confused, the way you feel in a dream when something unexpected happens, like your male dog give birth to kittens or the man you dream you where marrying turned in to a girl. She sat down on a stone by the brook and dipped her feet in the water. This was a very calm dream, Sarah's usual dreams were full of speed, dangers and adventures her imagination feed her sleeping mind whit, and usually she was running from something. Freud would probably find something very interesting to say about Sarah's dreams.

Something, not a sound she was sure of that, something like a not-sound or maybe just a feeling, made her turn around and find the literal man of her dreams standing behind her. He seemed different somehow, he looked just like he had That Night but he did not entirely fit in the setting, like an ice-bear among the penguins in the south-pol or a kangaroo in a spruce forest. He felt too real, more real then Sarah felt herself.

"Sarah" Jareth said and held out his hand to her. She took it whit out a word.

He swept her away in a waltz around the glade that slowly turned in to the glittering bubble-ball room.

"Do you know what your meddling whit precious?" he asked her and spun her around before she had a chance to answer. "I would have thought that you learned enough from your little trip in my labyrinth to be careful around wishes and dreams." he continued as she returned to his guarded embrace.

"What are you talking about?" she asked confused.

"Magic Sarah, these old traditions are full of old magic bound together whit the land itself. And they are binding in a way you do not know of."

Sarah woke up whit a start. The goblin kings last words echoed thru her head. She reached under her pillow and found the now very flat flowers. They did not look magical, like the strange crystal balls Jareth used for magic, but the peach that nearly had cost her her brother had not seemed magical ether...

Somehow she managed to fall asleep again and slept till past 11 when the rest of the house started to wake up.

There was left over strawberry's, toast and milk for breakfast out in the garden. Their host remarked on how wonderful and unexpected it was with a Swedish midsummer when it did not rain, and that led to a discussion on past midsummer's and the weather witch Sarah had some problem keeping up whit.

After breakfast they watched a movie some kind of action movie, it was a bit confusing for Sarah in the beginning whit the Swedish text as her eyes automatic went to the words but did not understand them, she had to concentrate on listening to the voices more then usual.

After the movie Maria and Sarah made themselves ready to go back to Maria's apartment.

" Are you sure you are ready to drive?" Mattias the host asked Maria.

"Yes, I stopped drinking long before midnight yesterday and I feel fine I wasn't even hungover this morning."Maria answered.

"Wait a second!" Anna said and run up to her room, two minutes later she came back whit a alcohol-meter.

"I got this thru work." Anna said.

"You're well prepared." Mattias remarked.

"Drunk driving is one of the things that kills most people in this country."Anna answered in a matter-of-fact voice as she gave it to Maria who dutifully blow thru the mouthpiece. After a few seconds the meter beeped and showed a green light.

"Looks like I can drive." Maria said. "You should bring that one on more parties Anna."

"I will try to remember it."

There was a long time of goodbyes and thank you for coming/inviting me before they could start the drive back to the city.

Sarah and Maria was happily talking about the party and planing how they could repeat it as they drove around a sharp turn finding a big wild boar standing on the way.  
Maria cursed and moved out of the way for it just to drive in to a rock that some how made the car turn over and fall over the railing and over the edge of a cliff in to the lake.  
In the seconds before they hit the water Sarah only heard the screams of Maria, her brain seemed to have stopped working and she found herself saying words she never thought she would say again as the car hit the water.

"I wish the goblins would come and take me away right now!"

The brown haired girl disappeared before the car hit a rock that shattered the front and the windows.  
She did not see her friend bruised and bleeding look straight in to the eyes of a being she had read about and told stories of but newer quite believed in.  
She newer saw how Näcken in his terrifying beauty dragged her friend out of the sinking car and down to his lonely home making her his companion and eternal captive.

She newer saw the blood of both herself and her friend flowing out over the small lake coloring the white waterlily's red in the afternoon sun.

_Cliffhanger! Don't worry I will update the rest of what I got soon and take you out of your misery ;)_


	2. The mortality of kings

Midsummer rituals

Chapter 2

The mortality of kings

I did not think you would come for me." She said to the man in-front of her that she could more feel than see.

"I was never more than a wish away." he answered in a matter of fact tone.

"Where are we?" she asks unable to see more then darkness around her.

"You are in my Esther room, in the same place as when you left eight years ago."

"Why is it so dark?"

"Because the sun has yet to rise."

"It was the middle of the day when I..."

"Time is not the same here and in your world." was his answer.

"How long til the sun rises?"

"Four hours." he moved closer till she felt him standing just in front of her, so close she could feel his breath on her chin.

"Come I will show you a bed." he said and took her hand leading her thru the darkness for a time she had no way of measuring until they reached a door to a dimly lit hall.

The hall reminded her of the first part of the labyrinth she entered, the endless corridor whit hidden doors, it must have been a different door then the one she used the first time, unless the castle changed like the labyrinth.  
It was light here and she could see her companion clearly.  
He had changed slightly in style over the last eight years since she last saw him, his hair was longer and no longer in a cloud around his head but tied in a tail at the back of his head. His clothes was different to, his silky shirt was straight instead of loose and his less reveling trousers looked like black jeans but were made of a different material. And his black cloak looked stiffer and had a different cut. But it still flowed around him as he turned and walked before her down the corridor.

She felt like they had walked forever but it probably was just a couple of minutes when Jareth made a sharp turn straight in to the wall, at least that what it looked like to Sarah but as the king went straight thru the wall she figured that this corridor was just like the one in the beginning of the labyrinth.

On the other side there was a more normal type of corridor whit turns and corners.

They were walking past a side way when the man run out.

Sarah barely had time to recognize the thing he had in his hand as a dagger before her feet moved on there own accord putting herself in front of Jareth and grabbing the dagger to stop the man from harming.  
The second she stood there staring straight in to his eyes seeing the first blank look turn in to a surprised one etched in to her mind forever.  
He looked like a normal person in blue jeans and a t-shirt, he could have been anybody.  
Then Jareth was there taking the knife both she and the would be assassin held on to without any problem. The man looked confused at the knife as if he never had sen it before and then he looked at Jareth whit fear.

Jareth said nothing just looked at him sternly and then threw a crystal orb at him making him disappear in a cloud of smoke.

"What happened?" Sarah asked worried and slightly creeped out.

"It is a bit complicated, basically the Labyrinth is craving me to ether produce a heir or be replaced." He said it in a emotionless voice but Sarah could see how tense he was.

"The Labyrinth? Your own kingdom is trying to kill you?" She asked surprised.

"The Labyrinth contains so much magic it gets a mind of its own. I have been without an heir for too long, If I die whit out the labyrinths involvement it will be defenseless." Jareth said whit a sigh.

"Who was the man?"

"Some poor dreamer that just had the nightmare of his life. He is not the first."Jareth said whit a shrug, the ease he said it whit gave Sarah shivers, You should not be that insensitive about someone trying to kill you.

"He tried to kill you!"she said trying to reach some emotion in him.

"Its the way of nature, specially if you are king Sarah." He said looking straight in to her eyes.

"I know but that dose not men you should just give up trying to change that!" she said not liking his cold tone.

"And I haven't!" he said and there was finally some heat in his voice. "And since you kindly stepped in to help I wont need to worry about any more assassination attempts from the labyrinth at least."

"What do you mean?" she asked confused.

"The queen of the labyrinth chooses herself precious. After a test of suitability she is put in a situation that often is very symbolic in which her choice decides whether she becomes queen or not. You just made the choice to accept the position." He explained.

"What? Wait, you mean that when I ran the labyrinth..."

"You passed the test of suitability, as you were still far to young to be queen I let you return to your life without making a choice."

"What about that fear me love me do as I say thing in the end? What was that?"

"That my dear was a futile try to distract you, I'm sorry to say it but a bratty teenager was not exactly what I imaged when I thought about my future queen."

"I think I see your point, I wouldn't have wanted me to be queen when I was fifteen ether." Sarah said after thinking a moment and getting past the small sting of hurt she got by his words.

"I am happy to see you have grown since our last encounter." Jareth remarked and looked at her really looked at her for the first time since she re-entered the labyrinth. Sarah had not realized until when he really looked at her that what he had been doing earlier was just letting his eyes float over her, he had not really cared or thought to much about her. Now he took in the changes she had gone thru in the years since there last encounter.

Sarah soon found his measuring and prying eyes on her a bit to much and uncomfortably changed her foot.

"So what would have happened if I had accepted that offer?" She said trying to get him to stop looking at him like that.

"You would have lost, I would have kept your brother and you would have returned to a world where only you remembered that you once had a brother and what happened to him. Most runners go mad by the guilt eating at them. Some turn cold from the guilt and live empty lives, constantly buggered by goblins and a few that are truly sorry work all there lives to redeem themselves and so they are forgiven." Jareth explained. Before she could ask anything more he continued. "Its kind of ironic that you won by refusing the price."

They stood silent for a while both of them avoiding etch-others eyes.

"Come, your room is just around this corner."Jareth said and lead her to a door of dark wood whit a carved figure of a owl over the frame.  
He entered first lighting the candles placed strategically in the room and then the small fireplace leaving the room fully illuminated. It was a medium sized room that gave out a homy feeling whit the bed-cower whit small roses spread over it, the comfy chair whit large pillows standing in front of the window, the flower patterned curtains in the window, the large wooden closet that seemed like it was just waiting for you to walk thru it in to another world.  
As Sarah took in the room Jareth just stood there watching her and how she fit so perfectly in it, just like he dreamed his queen would, he had some problem rethinking his image of a perfect queen to fit this girl that obviously had grown but still was so much younger than him. It might take some work but seeing Sarah walking in to her room whit a happy smile and opening the wardrobe barely looking at the fin dresses just pushing them aside to see the wardrobes back wall gave him hope, this madness might actually work out.

"I will be back in the morning to get you to breakfast, I advise you not to wander alone in the castle until its gotten used to you and you have learned the ways of this world." Jareth said as Sarah got out from the wardrobe.

"Jareth I... what are we going to do really?" Sarah asked showing some of the confusion that chock had kept at bay so far.

"We are to be wed, as soon as possible in the laws eyes." he answered his thoughts from earlier mot showing in his voice.

"But we hardly know each-other!" She said whit worry and even fear in her voice.

"I believe we will have the rest of our life to learn about each-other. "Jareth answered whit a small smile that some how gave Sarah hope that this may not be as bad as she feared. Then he disappeared in a puff of glitter leaving her looking out thru the empty hallway.

Sleep came easy to Sarah even if she should not have been so tired in the first place. The trauma and changing circumstances might have something to do whit it.

_And this is where my writers block comes in. I have some ideas about the what should happen next but this may take some time, so be patient._

_Thanks for reading and to those of you who reviewed your awesome and its really nice to know that someone likes what you write. _


	3. Morning in the castle

Midsummer rituals

Chapter 3

Morning in the castle

_Oh dear I actually updated again! In the middle of the night as usual and I really should be sleeping cause there is school tomorrow but I'm up and giving you this since I wont e able to update in the weekend. Doesn't that deserve a review?;)_

She felt as if she had barely slept at all when Jareth's knocking woke her the next day. She barely had time to sit up before The goblin king entered carrying a tray that was smelling deliciously.

"Good morning" He said.

"Good morning." she answered sleepy."how come your coming whit my breakfast your self, that dose not seem like something a king dose." she asked before thinking.

"Goblins can not be trusted whit food, they ether spill it or you'll find things in it you'd rather not." Jareth answered, putting down the tray in front of her.

"So you do the cooking?"Sarah asked before starting on the boiled eggs, toast and yoghourt in front of her.

"Oh no, I have an elf employed as chef and he has some helpers, but they are no good at finding there way thru the labyrinth or the labyrinth like parts of the castle. Only the goblins and I seem to be good at that." He answered as she eat. He sat down in a sprawled out manner in a chair close to her bed. For a while it seemed like he was content to sit there and watch her eat,then he spoke again. " You will be able to find your way to soon."

"I will? But I'm not a goblin."

"You will be by marriage soon." He said, and Sarah suddenly lost her appetite.

"There no way we can..." she started.

"No, don't even think about it Sarah, we are already as good as married, the ceremony is just a formality that's only necessary for the sake of formality and for the other courts." Jareth said calmly.

"Cant we say that there's been some kind of mistake?"

"No Sarah there's been no mis..."

"Yes it has! There must have! I.. I cant... I don't know... How am I suppose to?.. I just cant!" Sara interrupted and let the doubts she had lose.

" Yes you can, and you will be wonderful."

"How do you know?"

"Its a part of the test, you cant complete the labyrinth unless you'll make a wonderful queen."

"That was eight years ago!"Sarah almost shouted irritated by his calm and so self-assured voice.

"That only makes you more mature as a queen." Jareth said still in that calm slightly insulting voice. " You better eat up your breakfast. I don't want you to faint during the ceremony."

"What? Are we, will we, I mean... today? Cant we wait til tomorrow at least? I... should there not be a lot of preparations for a state wedding?"Sarah stumbled over her words in half panic.

"Not this kind of state wedding. In the goblin kingdom the real celebration is not until the couples first child is born. The ceremony only involves you me and the high priest. I thought we could have it over and done before lunch and then we can start your lessons."Jareth said in a way that showed that he had already planed it all and was only asking for formal reasons, no matter if she protested or not things would happen his way.

"You want me to get married whit out anyone from my family present?" Sarah's voice was a mix of sadness and a try for businesslike resolve.

"As I said this wont be like a above-ground wedding, its more like a contract signing. The real wedding will be on the naming day of our first child."

"What if there is no children?"Sarah said in a try for defiance.

"That would be unfortunate as we then would have to start dodging assassins again."Jareth said and conjured on of those crystal balls he was so found of and started playing whit it.

"Assassins? But what if I don't want children? Then what will you do?"Sarah said raising her voice slightly, and following the crystal whit her eyes.

"If that was the case I'm afraid you'd have to overcome your dislike or we would both face death at the hand of some poor dreamer that would have to take the crown from my head. However that will not be a problem as you do not have that problem."As he ended his sentence he made the ball balance on the tips of his fingers.

"How do you know that?"Sarah said just to fight him and his arrogant attitude.

"Because Sarah dear, I have watched you over the years. You have wanted a child of your own ever since you saw your step mother use her highly pregnant belly as a table for her tea cup when she was pregnant whit your half brother." His voice got an intensity he hadn't had before and he was suddenly sitting straight and looking directly at her, the ball vanished in a poof of glitter.

"Wha.. How do you...? I haven't!" Sarah started to defend herself.

"Don't even try denying it precious, dreams is my specialty, and I've taken a special interest in your dreams ever since you run my labyrinth. I know everything about them."Jareth said as he abandoned the chair to sit on Sarah's bed in a uncomfortably close position. "I always felt flattered by the place you gave me in your dreams Sarah, I hope I can live up to your expectations of me..." He continued in a suggestive tone. Sarah was slightly mortified by that last remark, but refused to let him intimidate her. She was after all a grown up woman now not a frightened teenager.

Do you have to invade my personal space? OK I have had some dreams about you... I'm a grown up, its allowed and not unusual to have some fantasies about attractive men."she defended herself.

"Of cores you are precious, I rather approve of it. And we will soon be sharing everything including personal space so you better get used to it." But he did move to give her some more room.

"What kind of lessons were you talking about earlier?"Sarah asked to change subject.

"A queen cant be totally unknowing about her people or her neighbors, and there is a big part of our etiquette that you don't know that a queen needs so she wont make a public mess of herself."Jareth said and stood up again.

"Yes that would be embarrassing."Sarah said before finishing the last piece of her now cold toast.

"I assume you are finished whit your breakfast."Jareth said and took it from her as she nodded him yes. "There is a dress fit for the occasion in your wardrobe. I will be back in around twenty minutes to lead you to the chapel." and whit that he vanished out the door without waiting for her answer.

Hesitantly Sara left her bed and opened the wardrobe to see her wedding dress. It was just as the one she had been dreaming of on spare moments whit her friends. White whit black embroidery on the bodice, the skirt full and somewhere between slender and poofy. He really did know her dreams.

She dressed and found it just as easy to move in as she had imagined and almost mechanically put on her make-up and the beautiful jewelry that was laid out on her dressing table.

When she was finished she turned to look in the full length mirror in the corner. The image that meet her eyes showed her a woman fit to be a queen. The image made her break down and cry. For even if it was very close in some details this was not how she had imagined her wedding day at all.


	4. the Wedding

Midsummer rituals

Chapter 4

_At last a new chapter! I haven't forgotten this story yet,I've just been extremely busy with school. I've been to Norway, learned about mushrooms, did a inventory of otters and fell in love with some one and I have no idea if he likes me back. Yeah I've been busy :) _

_This chapter starts kind of angsty but I couldn't keep it up fortunately, this story is on the verge of being a bit to angsty. _

_I'm not totally satisfied with this chapter but I cant think of how to improving it, can you?_

True to his word twenty minutes after he left the goblin king returned for Sarah. He entered the room finding her covering up the obvious traces of her tears with make up, she did not notice him at first so he stayed by the door watching her at first. She had obviously done this before judging by the way she expertly added just the right amount of makeup to remove all traces and make it look natural. She added a layer of foundation when she noticed his presence by the door in the mirror.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked frowning not liking the thought of not having noticed him coming in.

"Was the dress not satisfying?" He answered with a question of his own as he approached the .

" Its just as I dreamed it." She answered not looking at him.

"But not the circumstances?" His voice was calm, Sarah wondered why it bothered her so, did she really want him to rile and shout at her for not loving him?

"No not the circumstances, I... I had thought that I would marry for love. Or at least to some one I had known more than a day." She answered almost succeeding in trying to keep her voice steady.

"Would you prefer the bottom of the lake?" Jareth said bluntly.

"No, no I would not..." Sarah answered quickly for that she was absolutely sure of, death was nothing she wished for. The minute before she came to the labyrinth played thru her mind, the panic, the pain and the fear all coming back to her. "Do you know what happened to my friend Maria? Is she..." She dared not finish the question cause maybe that would make it happen for sure. So many things had happened since the accident that she had forgotten to ask.

"The girl that was in the car with you?"Jareth asked as he stalked across the floor towards her. Sarah only nodded her confirmation, she had something stuck in her throat that made her unable to speak just then. Jareth summoned a crystal that he looked in to for some time before he answered her question.

"Her faith has some resemblance to yours. The Näck of the lake you fell in to seem to have taken a liking to your friend, she lives with him at the bottom of the lake, both prisoner and guest." For a second Sarah felt the smell of a forest lake blended with the sweet sick smell of rutting meat in her nose and she had a vision of a cave full of strange things and a bed that seemed cut out of the rock itself where Maria lay, white as a corps, and beside her stood something that seemed to change between a big white horse and a pale man with a fiddle in his hand. The image was in the strange light you get under water and with a strange red-brownish tint.

Sarah forced herself to not cry again for her friends fate, she could not afford to waste the energy if she was to get thru with her own.

They walk in silences down to the royal chapel where the head of the goblin church waited, the chapel was a stone annex to the castle, it was quite narrow but made up for it in length and height. The high stained glass window showed what Sarah assumed to be religious pictures, there was surprisingly many chickens pictured.

In the front just beneath the large stone altar and a large painting of the goblin king whit an owl on his right shoulder and a black chicken at his feet, stood the high priest of the goblins, he was a... chickentaur?  
Sarah had to take a double check but it was really thru, the high priest of the goblin church was really half chicken half goblin creature. Even thru the light of all that had happened the last day Sarah had trouble whit keeping a serious face at the sight of such a peculiar creature.

"Don't laugh, he'll get in to one of his tempers and we will be her all day." Jareth whispered in her ear before they got to close so the priest could hear him.

The chicken-goblin surly did take him self very seriously. He seemed quite stern in his white and yellow robe, the colors of eggshells and yolk.

Mostly thanks to all her acting classes Sarah some how managed to not start laughing the priest right in his face in the middle of the ceremony, who thankfully was quite short.  
The vows was mostly about the rulers being equals in all power and the balance they where to represent thru their marriage. Sarah did her best in trying to listen to the words of the priest and not look at his silly chicken legs, his robe seemed to be made to show off the chicken part of his figure.

And a bit to fast for her liking they where at the last part of the vow and they we´re suppose to seal their promises with a kiss.

Sarah turned towards Jareth and thought how strange it was that their first kiss would be their wedding kiss, and then she stopped thinking cause Jareth put her arms around her and looked at her with those miss-matched eyes whit a strange tenderness she never seen before.  
And then he kissed her.  
The goblin king didn't do the chaste formal kind of kiss Sarah had expected when she at some point had thought about that part of the wedding. It started slow but steeply increased in fire, Sarah barley had time to register his tongue against her lips before it was inside her mouth and she was as in to the kiss as he was, he tasted magic, forbidden things that suddenly was allowed and a hint of peach. The satin of her dress suddenly seemed much thinner than it had felt just minutes before as Jareth's (her husband! That would take some time to get used to) hands started roaming down her body and then up again. Sarah barley noticed that the high goblin/chicken priest disappeared thru a side-door and left them alone in the stone chapel.

There came to a point when Sarah felt that they could ether start backing of or start taking of clothes. This was really not how she had imagined her first time with the goblin king, and there was that stain-glass chicken that seemed to follow them with its eyes in a unsettling manner. So she slowly but surly drew away from Jareth ending the kiss.

The goblin king actually seemed a bit disappointed that she backed away.

"Look its not that I don't like this its just that this seems like the wrong setting for this kind of things..." she started and as she saw him conjuring a crystal she could imagine what he was going to do so she hurriedly continued, "...and you said something about lessons? It sounded important."

"Your right of coarse, and its not like we don't have the rest of our lives to this kind of things." Jareth said with a wicked smile and a look that could have melted anything and almost made Sarah regret not simply letting him have his way with her there on the cold chapel floor.

"Till the world falls down."Sarah said slightly lightheaded.

"Yes that's what I promised you is it not?"Jareth said with some surprise in his voice, as if he did not believe she would remember that. "Come Precious lets start with your lessons."he held out his arm and as Sarah took it she felt as if she had done it a thousand times before, like it was what she was born to do. It was not so bad a feeling as it should have sounded to her as a teenager.

_Am I evil for stopping them? Oh well hope you enjoyed it, I'm not that good with steamy bits, hop it was tolerable. _

_I can't say when next chapter will be out as I'm happy to have my schedule of the next week on the Thursday before... It should calm down in the future but you never know._

_Till next time._


End file.
